Are You Practicing Visionary Leadership? 7 Questions to Ask and Inspire

What does it mean to practice visionary leadership?

“We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender.” These words, delivered by Winston Churchill in 1940, rallied a nation on the brink of collapse. Churchill’s defiance and vision didn’t just lead through World War II; they inspired unwavering hope during one of humanity’s darkest chapters.

Two decades later, John F. Kennedy stood before the U.S. Congress and redefined ambition for a generation: “I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the Earth.” The moonshot wasn’t just about space – it was about uniting a country around a common goal to reach for the stars.

Fast forward to 1997, and Steve Jobs reimagined leadership and creativity with his bold declaration: “Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers… Because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do.” Jobs’ words fueled Apple’s rebirth, proving that a compelling vision can transform not only companies but also the way the world thinks.

Despite vastly different contexts, these leaders shared one defining quality: visionary leadership. They didn’t just see what was – they imagined what could be. They didn’t simply inspire action – they challenged others to dream bigger, bolder, and brighter.

That’s because visionary leadership is about more than innovation or big ideas. Sure, that makes the headlines, but the real power is in imagining and communicating a future that others want to be part of. Visionary leaders combine strategic thinking with empathy and prioritize people as the real heart of transformative change.

These leaders don’t just point people to a destination – they rally their teams and help make the impossible possible.

Articulate your vision at Workhuman Live 

Visionary leadership has been an important conversation at Workhuman Live, and one we continue every year. Over the past decade, we’ve been honored to bring some of the most forward-thinking minds in business to our mainstage – visionary leaders like Kat Cole, Nickle LaMoreaux of IBM, and Ariana Huffington and visionary leadership experts like Adam Grant, Brené Brown, and Malcolm Gladwell. 

Reflecting on insights from some of these past and future speakers and leaders, and a large body of research from our research partners, let’s explore the essence of visionary leadership and offer seven thought-provoking questions to help you assess your own approach. 

Are you ready to join the ranks of leaders shaping the future? Let’s go!

What are the characteristics of a visionary leader?

In a recent conversation on ReThinking with Adam Grant, leadership researchers Brené Brown and Simon Sinek explored the evolving skills needed for impactful leadership in today’s complex workplace. All three thought leaders are Workhuman Live alumni, and their discussion highlighted a profound truth: the qualities that make great leaders – self-awareness, vulnerability, and trust – are the same traits that make great human beings.

Visionary leadership combines three fundamental traits that distinguish it from other leadership styles:

1. Foresight: Visionary leaders anticipate future trends and strategically plan to address them.
2. Empathy: Visionary leaders inspire and motivate by deeply understanding and connecting with people.
3. Courage: Taking bold, calculated risks is also essential for visionary leaders. Whether breaking new ground in technology or leading through uncertain times, their courage is what propels their organizations forward.
   

7 questions to develop visionary leadership skills

What makes a leader truly visionary? It’s not just their ability to imagine a better future but their commitment to energizing others, fostering innovation, and building meaningful connections. To help you find strategies to revolutionize your approach, ask yourself these seven essential questions.

1. Do I have a compelling vision and big dreams?

Do you challenge your team to think beyond the status quo, sparking innovation and bold action? Great leaders help people see possibilities they may not have imagined for themselves.

Gallup research has highlighted the power of effective communication: Employees who strongly agree that their leaders create enthusiasm about the future are 69% more likely to feel engaged and 73% less likely to experience burnout. Yet only 22% of employees believe their leaders even have a clear direction.

To focus your team, communicate your vision clearly and consistently. Share stories, paint pictures of success, and tie individual contributions to a bigger purpose. When you dream big and articulate that vision, you empower your team to dream with you.

2. Am I future-focused while staying grounded in the present?

An effective leader balances long-term strategy with the agility to adapt to present challenges. That means focusing not just on short-term gains, but looking ahead with clarity and focus.

As McKinsey has reported, “Organizations must go beyond profits to maximize value for all stakeholders, including contributing to society and a healthy planet.” This requires leaders to juggle strategic foresight with present-day needs.

Past Workhuman Live speaker Dr. Tasha Eurich laid some of this out in her framework, “The Seven Pillars of Insight,”  which emphasizes grounded self-awareness as the key to this balance. Leaders who understand their values, passions, and aspirations, she has observed, are better equipped to align their immediate actions with future goals. 

Are you combining insight with action to motivate, inspire, and create sustainable success?

3. Do I foster innovation through inclusion?

Diverse perspectives fuel innovation, so the best leaders actively advocate for inclusivity in their teams. True diversity means empowering every voice. 

As Workhuman Live 2025 speaker Hamza Khan has said, “Being a good leader means advocating for diversity and inclusivity at all levels of your operation. It’s about more than statements and social media posts – it’s about actions too.”

Research backs this up: For example, the work of Dr. Katherine W. Phillips shows that leaders can level the playing field simply by making eye contact with lower-status employees during meetings. And McKinsey has found that the top-quartile companies when it comes to gender diversity in 2023 had a 39% likelihood of greater success.

Are you intentionally creating space for diverse perspectives to shape your organization’s future?

4. Am I a courageous decision-maker?

Strong leaders make bold decisions, even in the face of uncertainty. Courage isn’t about avoiding risk. In the big-picture view, it’s about facing down uncertainty, and leading through it. 

Three-time past Workhuman Live alumna Brené Brown writes a lot about leadership and courage. As she writes in Dare to Lead: “The courage to be vulnerable is not about winning or losing – it’s about the courage to show up when you can’t predict or control the outcome.” 

The best leaders step up when it matters most, guiding their teams with confidence and optimism. And indeed, McKinsey has found that this kind of courage under fire pays off –  48% of executives rank presenting an inspiring vision as the most important leadership behavior during a crisis. 

Are you willing to step up and embrace vulnerability in pursuit of progress?

5. Do I prioritize people over processes?

Processes and strategies are essential, but people drive success. Visionary leaders prioritize empowering employees and building connections that foster trust and engagement.

As Kat Cole, a former Workhuman Live speaker, has observed: “Leadership is about the team – the culture they keep and embrace; it’s about empathy for your customers, clients, employees, and the communities where you do business; it’s about doing the right thing for the right reasons, being confident enough to take risks and responsible enough to think of those who your decisions and risks may affect.” 

Brené Brown echoed this sentiment in her interview with Adam Grant: “Care for and connection with the people we lead is an irreducible prerequisite. If you don’t care for the people you lead and you’re not connected with them, none of this works.” Are your actions showing your team that they come first?

6. Do I regularly seek feedback and adjust my vision?

Smart leaders know that adaptability is key. They welcome feedback as an opportunity to refine their vision and align with their teams.  As Gary Kelly, CEO of Southwest Airlines, observed in an interview with Gallup: “The higher you go, the more you must rely on other people, and if you’re smart, you will listen to them.”

Our own Workhuman research emphasizes that self-aware leaders who embrace feedback drive stronger alignment across teams.

Are you fostering a culture of open dialogue and continuous improvement, ensuring your visionary leadership style evolves to meet the moment?

7. Am I building a legacy that outlasts me?

Effective leaders focus on creating a sustainable impact that endures beyond their tenure. They understand that true leadership is about empowering others and fostering a culture that thrives independently.

As Adam Grant has repeatedly said on the Workhuman Live stage, “The most meaningful way to succeed is to help others succeed.” This perspective underscores the importance of developing future leaders and building systems that continue to flourish.

Reflect on whether your leadership is leaving a lasting mark on your team, organization, and society. Are you empowering others to carry forward your vision and build upon it? 

Consider these seven questions our call to action, and a great start to a conversation you can continue with Adam and other business leaders at the next Workhuman Live conference. Which questions will you begin answering today?

Why is visionary leadership important right now?

Today’s workplace complexities – from AI to DEI – make Churchill’s battlefields, Kennedy’s moonshot, and Jobs’ reinvention look almost quaint. 

We’re in a time of dizzying technological evolution, hybrid workplaces, and a shifting world of work, but visionary leaders help their people see opportunities rather than threats. They guide with ethics, champion human-first innovation, and use technology to amplify creativity and impact.

Here’s how visionary leaders encourage their teams and transform challenges into strengths: 

Guiding through uncertainty

Change has been the only constant in the past few years – according to PwC’s 2024 Global Workforce Hopes and Fears Survey, more than half of workers feel there’s too much change at work happening at once, and 44% don’t understand why things need to change at all. Visionary leaders offer employees clarity and stability. They communicate a future-focused vision that keeps their teams grounded in long-term goals, even when the path forward is unclear. By reframing uncertainty as an opportunity, they inspire forward momentum.

Driving innovation and adaptation

Visionary leaders thrive on staying ahead of the curve. They anticipate trends, challenge the status quo, and encourage bold, creative thinking. They grow and develop and take calculated risks. For them, adaptation is second nature – and a huge competitive advantage.

Rather than using technology solely for efficiency, visionary leaders integrate it to enhance creativity and teamwork. This human-centered approach fosters dynamic workplaces where innovation and adaptability thrive.

Inspiring unity and engagement

Visionary leaders bring people together, connecting with others in a shared sense of purpose. They articulate a compelling mission that resonates across diverse teams, fostering belonging and alignment with organizational goals.

According to Gallup, when leaders inspire enthusiasm about the future, seven in 10 employees are more engaged at work. But when they don’t, only one employee in 100 is engaged. Great leaders channel enthusiastic energy, uniting teams to achieve extraordinary results through visionary leadership.

Simon Sinek captured this beautifully when he said: “Leadership is a team sport. None of this stuff is doable alone.” Visionary leaders embrace this collaborative mindset, using challenges as a springboard for connection and growth.

Building resilience and sustainability

Look beyond short-term wins to focus on lasting resilience. These leaders prioritize sustainable strategies that balance immediate needs with long-term goals, ensuring stability in a rapidly changing world. By addressing challenges like economic shifts and environmental concerns head-on, visionary leaders create organizations that can weather external pressures while staying true to their values.

Fostering trust and social responsibility

Trust lies at the heart of success. By leading authentically and aligning their goals with societal needs, these leaders rebuild trust in an often disconnected world. Championing social responsibility, these leaders recognize the power of business to drive meaningful change,  in ways that benefit people, communities, and the planet.

Practical tips for a visionary growth mindset

Being a true visionary is not always an innate talent – it’s a skill set that can be cultivated with intentionality, reflection, and practice. Whether you’re looking to elevate your impact or lay the groundwork for transformative change, these practical tips can help you step into your visionary leadership style.

Tip #1: Embrace the power of recognition

More than a high five, good social recognition is a powerful tool for motivation, engagement, and loyalty. Employees who feel valued and acknowledged for their contributions are not only more productive but also more invested in their work. “Social recognition is an investment with quantifiable returns: increased engagement, productivity, quality, and profitability; decreased employee turnover and absenteeism,” noted Workhuman CEO and Workhuman Live keynote speaker Eric Mosley in his book, Making Work Human.

Gallup research validates this, finding that employees who receive regular recognition are more engaged, productive, and loyal. Use recognition to amplify individual strengths and to align with company goals, creating a ripple effect of positivity and achievement.

Action: Incorporate social recognition into your philosophy. Recognize team members through timely, meaningful awards to create a culture where effort is celebrated.

Tip #2: Stay curious and think outside the box

The best leaders never stop learning. Every setback is an opportunity to work toward something new. Seek out opportunities to grow, whether through books, mentorship, or events like leadership conferences. This constant curiosity allows them to anticipate change, stay ahead of trends, and lead with insight.

Simon Sinek explains: “Great leaders do not consider themselves experts in leadership. They consider themselves students in leadership, and they always know there’s room for growth.”

Action: Attend events like Workhuman Live, where you can connect with thought leaders and gain actionable insights. Engage in peer-learning communities and explore workshops that challenge your perspective and expand your toolkit.

Tip #3: Create a culture of innovation and inspire your team

Innovation thrives in environments where people feel safe to challenge conventional thinking. Cultivate this by encouraging bold ideas and embracing a mindset of experimentation.

McKinsey has highlighted the transformative power of innovative culture, writing: “History is filled with the impossible, or even unimaginable, becoming reality. When those moments happen, mental and emotional barriers break down, enabling others to follow suit.” By demonstrating new mindsets and behaviors, leaders unlock reservoirs of energy, creativity, and ingenuity within their teams.

Action: Build psychological safety by normalizing failure as a learning process. Encourage team members to think creatively, experiment, and share unconventional ideas without fear of criticism.

Tip #4: Lead with emotional intelligence

In today’s workplace, the human aspects of visionary leadership are more important than ever. Connect meaningfully with your team by being transparent, authentic, and empathetic.

Gartner research has noted that revealed that 90% of HR leaders believe that to succeed in today’s work environment, leaders must focus on the human aspects of leadership. They have identified three critical components:

• Authenticity: Act with purpose and enable true self-expression for both yourself and your team.
• Empathy: Show genuine care and concern for employees’ well-being.
• Adaptability: Offer flexibility and support tailored to individual needs.

As Brown put it in her interview with Grant, “Who we are is how we lead. Self-awareness, kindness, vision, accountability, trust – just basic skills of being a good human being to other human beings.” Sinek added: “Leadership is not about being in charge. It is about taking care of those in your charge.”

Action: Build empathy into your leadership approach by actively listening to team members, addressing their concerns, and modeling vulnerability. Authenticity inspires trust and strengthens team bonds.

Examples of visionary leadership for HR 

HR professionals are uniquely positioned to act as architects of a visionary leadership style – shaping workplace culture, fostering innovation, and guiding organizations through complexity. By championing foresight, empathy, and courage, HR leaders can empower teams to achieve extraordinary results while driving meaningful change.

Empower future leaders

HR’s role in identifying and nurturing visionary talent is pivotal to creating a leadership pipeline that sustains organizational success. Deloitte’s research emphasizes this, noting that organizations investing in leadership development are better equipped to meet evolving demands. According to Deloitte, “Organizations must develop leaders for perennial skills like managing operations, supervising teams, and making decisions, as well as capabilities suited to a rapidly evolving, technology-driven environment – such as leading through ambiguity, managing increasing complexity, and embracing diversity.”

HR leaders can spearhead programs that:

• Cultivate self-awareness and adaptability in emerging leaders.
• Provide opportunities for mentorship and cross-functional collaboration.
• Foster leadership skills that balance technical expertise with human connection.

By investing in leadership development, HR ensures that organizations not only adapt to current challenges but also thrive in the face of future uncertainties.

Drive cultural transformation and take risks

HR can be a catalyst for embedding transformational leadership into workplace culture. McKinsey has highlighted that companies with adaptive, visionary leadership models excel at driving cultural transformation, saying: “As leaders become more self-aware and embrace new mindsets, they build adaptive capacity, reimagine how they work, and collectively evolve their operating and business models to create thriving organizations.”

Key strategies HR can adopt to drive different leadership styles include:

• Encouraging adaptive leadership: Equip leaders to navigate ambiguity and respond proactively to change.
• Fostering psychological safety: Create environments where employees feel empowered to innovate and voice ideas.
• Embedding inclusion and equity: Build a culture where diverse perspectives shape decision-making and drive innovation.

By aligning leadership practices with organizational values, HR not only enhances team engagement but also strengthens the foundation for sustainable success.

Next steps to become a visionary leader

This is a journey that requires reflection, intentionality, and action. As you consider the seven questions posed earlier, take time to assess your strengths and identify areas for growth. Which traits resonate most with your leadership style? Where do you see opportunities to evolve?

Are you ready to learn more? Now is the time to take the next step in your journey. Connect with thought leaders shaping the future of work at Workhuman Live 2025 at the Gaylord Rockies in Colorado this May 12-15 as we explore the ways to make this vision a reality.

And don’t miss Hamza Khan’s session, where he’ll share insights on rehumanizing the workplace, modern leadership, and fostering inclusive, sustainable growth in the future of work.

Click here to register for Workhuman Live 2025 and continue the conversation!

About Darcy Jacobsen

Darcy is a passionate storyteller and champion of workforce transformation, human connection, and recognition-driven culture. As an author on the Workhuman Live Blog, she loves to connect deep research insights with modern workplace dynamics to uncover what really drives engagement, belonging, and happiness at work. With a background in communications and a master’s in medieval history, she brings a unique perspective to her writing, taking deep dives into all topics around organizational psychology and the science of gratitude.